Flexible door



June l2, 1934. c. F. RUTLEDGE FLEXIBLE DOOR NIF Filed NOV. 28. 1930 L mF IIIIIIIIIIII'IWIII wvcMJCM/ CHARLES F. RUTLEDGE fifi Patented June 12,1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in flexible doors. In theembodiment shown in the present specication the invention is referred toas being especially intended for garages or other buildings having largeor wide doorways. A door of this type consists of panels hingedlyconnected together, and which are retained movably in runways thereforin such manner that the door may assume status other than vertical whenit isV raised l' from the lower or closed position and to an overheadposition. A door of this description also comprises counter balancingmeans whereby the door is capable of being easily moved to the raised orlowered positions.

Advantages to be desired in door construction of the above descriptionare that the door panels when raised may occupy a minimum amount oflspace; that the necessity of extended overhead trackways may beeliminated; that friction and noise may be minimized; that simpliedmeans fer counterweighting the panels may be provided; and that raisingand lowering of the panels may be accomplished without shock oroverstrain of any of the parts.

To provide means for accomplishing the above named advantages, and alsoto provide specic improvements in construction whereby the doorstructure in its entirety is capable of being economically manufactured,and easily handled in transportation and in the installation thereof,and which is durable, dependable, and 4not liable to get out of order orrepair, are the objects of my invention.

The above named objects as well as more specic aims of the invention aswill appear in the following description, are accomplished by and theinvention is embodied in the new construction, combination andarrangement of parts described in the following specication.

Figure 1 is a front view of my improved flexible door.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front view of the end portions of the doorpanels, and one of the housings, the greater portion of the face plateof the ff; housing, and the frontal ilange of the trackway l beingbroken away.

Figure 3 is a vertical'cross section view taken on the line 3--3, and asseen in the direction of arrow 3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side View of the upper portion of Figure 2 taken in thedirection of arrow 4 in Figure 2. i

r Figure 5 is an enlarged view vof the upper portion of the trackwaychannel, and the branch trackway structure, as seen in the direction ofarrow 3, the dotted lines thereon indicating the positions of the panelswhen at theraised status.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional top plan view taken on the line '7 7 in Figure5.

Figure 8 is a view of a portion of the trackway channel, as seen in thedirection of arrow 8in Figure 5.

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional top plan viewv taken onthe line 9 9 inFigure 2. 6.5

My invention provides spaced opposed upright housings, door panelshingedly connected to each other, confronting upright channels embodiedin said housings, each at its tip portion being of closed formation andcurved to constitute a crook, 7.0 and in its body portion being offormationrin cross section Vto constitute a pair of side-by-sidetrackways, one being designated as a leader track and the other as afollower track, there being a passway and a gateway in the tread ofthe-follower track at its upper portion, the said gateway extendingtransversely of and communicating with said `passway at its centralportion, rollers at the` ends of the rear side of the upper edge of thetop panel, rollers at the axial center of the hinges that unite the twopanels next below the top panel, and rollers at the ends of the rearside of the lower edge of the bottom panel to travel the leader track,rollers at the ends of the rearfside and on a plane between the upperand lower edges of the top panel, and rollers at the ends of the rearside and on a plane between the upper and lower edges of the third panelto travel the follower track, a branch trackway structureV combined witheach of the said channels at a prede-y termined height thereon, andhaving a track of curved formation and vwith lower portion to registerat the plane of thev aforesaid passway, one tread of said branch trackbeing adapted to be engaged by the lower roller of the top panel, andthe opposite tread of said branch track being adapted to be engaged bythe lower roller of the third panel, a deilector device -to shunt thetwo last named rollers from the follower track to the branch track, acounterweighting means for the two upper panels, and a counterweightingmeans for the lower panels.`

In the embodiment of my invention as it is shown in the drawing, I haveillustrated the several features-and details of construction inthe formand arrangement deemed preferable, it bef ing understood that they maybe modified within the scope ofthe. invention as dened by the appendedclaims. The present structure has a height over all of about eight andone-half feet, 1410 and a Width of about eight feet, and it is intendedespecially for doorways `of garages. of the doorway opening is abouteight feet.

The said upright housings are of right and left formation, and aresimilar in construction. Each is rectangular in cross section, andcomprises a frontal plate 1, a rear plate 2, and side plate 3. Embodiedtherewith is a body stud 4 which may be of wood, as shown in Figure 9.The plates may be of any suitable formation in cross section, and ofmetal or wood, the material first named being shown kin the presentinstance. Journaled in a suitable block 6 at the top of the housing, arepulleys 7 and 8, (see Figure 5), the

functions of which will presently be referred to,

The said housings set up on a suitable foundation, are spaced apart theproper distance, the foot portion of each being secured by an anchorbolt (not shown) at the foot clip 10. They are stayed at their upperportions by a transverse lintel or head plate 11. Y

The space between the plates 1, 2V, and 3, is occupied by the parts ofthe counterweighting means which will presently be described. The doorpanels, four in number, preferably of wood, are designated as the toppanel 12, intermediate panels 13 andY 14, and bottom panel 15. Thepanels are provided with hinge butts 16 and 16 which have their centersat the front side of the panels, and by hinge butts 17 which have theircenters at the rear side of the panels. The said butts 16 are connectedtogether by suitable pins.V

The butts 17 are connected together by pins 19. Each of said pins 19 hasan extended shoulder portion which constitutes a pintle. These pins aresecured against movement by a nut 19a.

Upona pintle 20 which is suitably secured at each end of the rear sideof the upper edge of the top panel, is journaleda roller 21. On thepintle of hinge pin 19 of the butts 17, is journaled a roller 23. Upon apintle 24 suitably secured at each end of the rear side of the loweredge of the bottom panel, is journaled a roller 25. The rollers 21, 23,and 25 are spacednabout one inch from the ends of the respective panels,as seen in Figure 9.

- At each end of the rear side of the top panel 12 and at positionspaced a predetermined distance below the'center of the roller 21, apintle block 26a having a pintle 26 is fastened by suitable bolts.Journaled on said pintle 26 is aroller 28.

At each end of the rear side of Y panel 14, and at position spaced apredetermined distance below the center of the roller 23, a pintle block29a, having a pintle 29, is fastened by suitable bolts. Journaled onsaid pintle 29 is a roller 30.

These rollers 28 and 39 are spaced such distance from the ends of thepanels, that they may travel in a plane aside from the Vertical plane inwhich the rollers 21, 23, and 25 are intended to travel. Y

`Loose on each of the pins 19 is an eyelet 31. On a stud 32 which issecured to each end of the frontal lower edge of panel 15, is looselyretained an eyelet Y33. The functions of these eyelets will presently bereferred to. f

The runways for the said door panels are of right and left formation.Each comprises an upright section of sheet metal plate, channel shapedin cross section, and which/may be designated as a channel. The saidchannelis of the suitable 'depth incross section, as shown in Figure 9,its opposed sides serving as trackways for the aforesaid rollers. Themarginal portions of said sides constitute what may be designated as theThe height leader track 36, and the base portions of' the said sidesconstitute what may be designated as the follower track 37. Deniarkationof these tracks is indicated by the dotted line in Figure 8.

The extreme upper portion of each of said channels is curvedtoconstitute a crook 49, the end thereof being of closed formationconstituting a socket 40h. In the side of the follower track 37 at aheight coincident with the plane of roler 28 is an opening designated asa passway 41. Communicating with said passway at its side portion is atransverse gateway 42 which extends through the adjacent leader track36.

The .said passway 41 and gateway 42, are of dimensions, as shown inFigure 8, to permit the passing therethrough of the rollers 28 and itspintle 26, and the roller 30 and its pintle 29 of the panels 12 and 14respectively. f

Adjacent to said passway 41, and between the treads 37 of the followertrack, a deflector plate 43 is secured. It is positioned with suchrelation to the said passway 4l, that upon raising the door panels, theroller 28 is caused toV leave the track 37 and to move through thepassway. A metal plate 44 which is secured to each of said channels atits upper portion, constitutes a support for branch trackway tread 45,and a branch trackway tread 46. The foot 45a of tread 45 is at a planewhich is coincident with the plane of the center of the roller 28, andwith the bottom of the passway 41. The said tread 45 in its intermediateand upper portion is of the curvature ofy an arc struck from the centerof the crook socket 4Gb. The curvature of said treads 45 and 46 and thepositions of the head portions 45h and 45D thereof are such that in themoving upwardly of the panels, the tread 45 causes roller 21 to pass upthe bend of the crook, and the head portion 45a which will have becomeengaged by roller 28 stays the said roller 21 at its position vof reposein the socket 4019 of said crook. The head portion 46h of the tread 46stays the roller 30 at the position of alignment as it appears in thedotted lines in Figure 5. A transverse strut bar 450 whose ends areconnected to the tops of the branch track way plates 44, serves as astaymember between the said plates 44 when the door structure will have beenerected.

To balance the weight of the door panels, a cable 48 extends frorn theeyelet 31 of the pintle of roller 23, over puleyv 7v and it is connectedto weight 49; and a cable 50 which extends from the eyelet33 from thebottoni of the end of the frontal face of the bottom panel 15, and overthe pulley 8, is connected to a weight 51. Helical springs, common inflexible door structures, may be used instead of the Weights, ifdesired.

Secured to the rear face of the marginal portion la. of each of thehousing plates 1, is an upright closure strip 54, of wedge shapedformation and which extends from the upper portion of said housing toits bottom, as shown in Figure 3. Nearfthe ends of the frontal facerofeach of the door panels are wedge shaped closure strips 12a, 13a, 14dand 15a (see Figure 3) which are so positioned as to register inalignment with the aforesaid closure strip 54. The said closure stripshave their face edges of such incline and they are of such variations indepth with relation to the said closure strip 54 that when the doorpanels are at the lowered or closed position, the said strips are inclosed engagement with the yaforesaid strip 54 of the door housing.Whereas the jointure thus obtained between the door panels and thehousings is weather proof, there is no tendency of the door to bind orstick, and it is at all times capable of being easily moved.

M y improved flexible door structure omplete consists of the housings,the lintel plate, the runway units, the door panels, rollers andfittings, cables, and weights. The several parts referred to are capableof being manufactured, handled, and transported economically, and alsothey are capable of being easily assembled and installed.

To install the invention the pintle blocks 26a and 29a are removed. Thepanels, connected together by their hinges and in folded status, arelain in horizontal position at the door site, the top panel being stayedat such incline that the rollers 25, 23 and 28 are in Verticalalignment. The housings and the runway units are then set up and arestayed in their positions suitably spaced as shown, the rollers 25, 2,3and 28 of the door panels being in position within the lower portion ofthe leader track 36. The head plate l1, and stay bar 45C are thensecured in place. IThe hooks on the free ends of the cables 48 and 50are engaged with the eyelets 31 and 33. The cables are then trained overthe pulleys '7 and 8 and secured to weights 49 and 5l respectively. Thepanels are then raised to the upright position shown, the rollers `21,23, and 25 occupying the leader track 36. The pintle blocks 26e and 29oare then bolted to place, the rollers 28 and 30 thereof occupying theirpositions in the follower trackway 37.

The several parts now occupy their respective positions as shown in thedrawing, it being understood that the weights 49 and 51 are of specificgravity necessary to properly counter the weight of the panels. Rollers21, 23 and 25 occupy the leader track 36. Rollers 28 and 30 occupy thefollower track 3'?. Roller 21 is in position adjacent to theV bend 40aof the crook 40. Roller 28 is in position adjacent to the base 45a ofthe branch track tread 45. Whereas the ltrackways and the rollers areshielded from the weather, suitable access to the rollers is had for thepurpose of lubrication.

The door is raised in the usual manner by imparting a lifting pully athandle 52,0f the bottom panel.v As rollers 21 of top panel 12 pass thebends 40a and into the sockets of the crooks 40,

the rollers 28 of said top panel and pintles 26 will have traveledthrough the openings 41 and gateways 42 respectively, and along thetread 45 and come to rest at engagement with the head 45h of said tread.Concurrently with the action of the weights 49 effecting the abovemovement, there is, by the ,action of the weights 51, the movement ofthe rollers 23 and 25 up the leader tracks 36. At the same time therollers 30, traveling up the follower track 37, will have been shuntedby the deflector plate 43 through the passway 41 into the branchtrackway whence they come to rest in engagement with the heads 46h` ofthe tread 46. The nature of the action above described, in the movementand delivery o f the panels to the overhead folded status, as shown bythe dotted lines in Figure 5, is such that whereas the panels are movedspeedily, 'quietly and without vibration, their arrivai at destinationis easy and free from impact or shock. The nature of the retention ofthe panels while they are in the raised or dotted line status as shownin Figure 5, is such that locking or fastening them is'not necessary.VTo lower the panels, apull imparted at the handle 52 results in theroller 30'leaving the head 4Gb of the-branch track tread 45, and theother rollers freely travel down the trackways, the action of therollers28 in leaving the head: 45h and traveling the tread 45 being tonegative any tendency of the door to race as.

it nears the lowered position.

The details as shown throughout, while being of thegeneral form andstructure deemed suitable inthe present embodiment, are susceptible ofchanges, alterations and modifications, incident to such Varyingconditions and require-- curved to constitute a crook, and in its bodypor-v tion being of formation in cross sectionto consti-.f tute a pairof side-by-side trackways,y one being designated as a leader track andthe other as a follower track, there being a passway and a gateway ,inthe tread of the follower track at its upper portion, the said gatewayextending transversely of and communicating with the said passway at itscentral portion, rollers at the ends of the rear side of the upper edgeof the top panel, rollers at the axial center of the hinges that unitethe two panels next below the top panel, and rollers at the ends of andon the rear side an-d lower edge of the bottom panel to travel theleader track, rollers at the ends of and on the rear side and on a planebetween the upper and lower edges of the top'panel, and rollers at theends of and on the rear side and on a plane between the upper and loweredges of the third panel to travel the follower track, a branchtrackwaystructure cornbined with each of the said channels at apredetermined height thereon, and having a track of curved formationwith lower portion to register at the plane of the aforesaid passway,one tread of said branch track adapted to be engaged by the lower rollerof the top panel. and the opposite tread of said branch track beingadapted to be engaged by the intermediate roller of the third panel, adeflector device to shunt the two last named rollers from the followertrack to "the branch track, and counterbalancing means for the door.

2. A flexible door of the kind described, comprising opposed confrontingrunway units, each of which has a crook and socket at its upper end, andeach of which comprisestwo aligned track-y ways one of which isdesignated as a leader track, and one of which is designated -as afollower track, a branch track communicating with each of said followertracks at its upper portion and having curvature of an arc struck fromthe crook socket, a door consisting of panels hingedly connectedtogether, and having rollers at its top edge, and at an intermediatehinge center, and at its bottom edge, to operate in said leader track,rollers on the top panel and an intermediate panel operable in saidfollower track, a deflector device to shunt the last named rollers fromthe follower track into the branch track whereby the rollers of the saidtop edge are caused to move into and be retained in said crook socketsvwhen the panels are raised, and counterbalancing means for said door.

3. In flexible door construction of ,the kind descrbed, opposed uprightguides, ,forwardly di.

ers at the rear faces of the meeting corners of the panel of the upperpair, said rollers above named 'upper pair, rollers on the rear side ofthe top 45. and the first above named trackway at its upper panel of theupper pair, and devices connected to associated with said guides, abranch track comrected and rearwardly directed extensions thereof,horizontally aligned panels, pivotal connections between the; doorpanels and said guides whereby when the panels are raised to overheadstatus they assume position in parallel folded relation, certain ofysaid connections being positionable in the extensions for causing atleast one of the panels to move forwardly and upwardly yandcounterbalancing means for the door. I

4. In door construction of the kin-d described, opposed upright guideseach having parallel trackways, a retainer guide at the upper portion ofeach of said guides, the said retainer guide having oppositely directedbranch trackways into which the trackways of the said upright guideshave entry, flexibly connected horizontal panels, pivotal connections onthe said panels to operate in the trackways of the said opposed guidesso that when the panels are raised, said pivotal connections pass intothe trackways of the retainer guide, and counterbalancing means havingconnections with said door.

5. Door construction of the kind described, comprising opposed uprightguides each having parallel trackways, pairs of door panels arranged invertical relation, edge to edge, the kpanels of the upper pair beinghinged together at their frontal faces, land the panels of the lowerpair being hinged together at their frontal faces, rolllower panel ofthe upper pair and the upper panel of the lower pair, rollers adjacentthe bottom corners of the lower panel of the lower pair, rollers at therear faces of the top corners of the top being operable in one of thesaid trackways, hinge connection between the lower panel of the uppersection, and the upper panel of the lower pair, rollers on the rear sideof the top panelA of the panel of the lower pair, said last namedrollers being operable in the other of said trackways, the last abovenamed trackway beinginclined rearwardly at its upper portion and thencewidened,

portion being terminated in the form of a pocket in which the upperroller may become seated, a cable extending from the bottom panel of.the lower; pair, a cable extendingV from the bottom said cables tocounterbalance the Weightk of said pairs of panels. A

, 6. In a door construction, the combination of a plurality of doorsections hingedly. connected togetherand arranged to be folded overheadfor door opening, guides pivotally associated with certain of saidsections and arranged in two parallel planes adjacent each end of thedoor, opposed confronting runway units of double depth municating witheach runway, and a switch device of single depth positioned at thejunction of the branch track and the runway for shunting the guides fromthe runway into the branch track.

7. In a'door construction, the combination of opposed confronting runwayunits each of which hasa forwardly directed combination crook and socketat its upper end, and each of said units comprises a pair of parallelways, therebeing a lateral opening in the way opposite the socket, abranch trackway extending rearwardly from the lateral opening and havingthe curvature of an arc struck from the socket, and deector meansflexibly connected doorV adjacent the lateral opening'to cause va doorroll-` er to leave the trackway and to pass through said" opening. Y,

8. In a folding door structure of the character described, thecombination of a pair o-f confronting runways each terminating in a headstructure including a rearwardly directed plate body portion, a pair ofspaced tracks, a curved track forming a rear wall and of predeterminedcurvature and merging with the rear track near its upper end, anintermediate track portion carried by the plate portion adjacent thecurved wall and extending downwardly toward the point of mergence, anupwardly and forwardly directed pocket forming wall extending laterallyfrom the plate body near its upper forward end, and a crook forming rearwall continuation of the pocket having its-lower portion in substantialalignment with the rear track.

V9. A flexible door of the kindv described, comprising opposed uprighthousings, .door panels hingedly connected to each other, confrontingupright channels embodied in said housings, each at its top portionbeing of closed formation and curved to constitute a crook, and in itsbody portion being of formation in cross section4 to constitute a pairof side-by-side trackways, one be-l ing designated as a leader track andthe other as a follower track, there being. a passway anda gateway inthe tread of the follower track at its upper portion, the said gatewayextending transversely of and communicating with the. said passway atits central portion, rollers at the Vends of the rear sideof the upperedge of ythe toppanel, rollers at the axial center of the hinges thatunite the two panels next below the top panel, and rollers at the endsof and on the'rear side and lower edge of the bottom panel to travelVthe leader track, ,rollers at the ends of and on panel to travel thefollower track, a branch trackway structure combined with each ,of thesaid 12d channels at a predetermined height thereon, and having a `trackof curved formation with lower portionV to register at the plane oftheaforesaid passway, one tread of said branch track adapted' to be engagedbythe lower roller of the top panel, and the opposite tread of saidbranch Ytrack being w adapted to be engaged by theintermediate roller ofthe third panel, a deiiector device to shunt the two last named rollers.from the ,follower trackto the branch track, and counterbalancing 13Gmeans for the door. l

l0. In a door of the character described, the combination of a pluralityof door sections hor-V izontally hinged together and arranged forfolding and movable into an overhead folded position, the upper edge ofthe upper door section and the lower edge of the second sectioninitially being movable upwardly, guide members carried by and at oneend of the upper and next lower section,a support for each guidememberprojecting beyond the end of `the section, (and. counterbalancingmeans at one side of the door and associated with said sections, saidmeans including a cable andan overhead pulley, the plane parallel to thedoor opening and including the initial contact of the cable with saidpulley is positioned rearwardly of a parallel plane whichincludes apluralityV of guide member supports when the sections are in closedposition, said cable between its pulley contact and its door connectionbeing positioned 1,59

forwardly of said rst mentioned plane at the guide support positionedintermediate the top and bottom of the upper section, and assisting inthe initial breaking or folding movement of the door sections relativeto each other.

11. In a door of the character described, the combination of a pluralityof door sections horizontally hinged together and arranged for foldingand movable into an overhead folded position, the upper edge of theupper door section and the lower edge of the second section initiallybeing movable upwardly, guide members carried by and at one end of theupper and next lower section, a support for each guide member projectingbeyond the end of the section, and counterbalancing means at one side ofthe door and associated with said sections, said means including a cableand an overhead pulley, the plane parallel to the door opening andincluding the initial contact of the cable with said pulley ispositioned rearwardly of a parallel plane which includes a plurality ofguide member supports when the sections are in closed position, saidcable between its pulley contact and its door connection beingpositioned forwardly of said rst mentioned plane at the guide supportpositioned intermediate the top and bottom of the upper section, andconnected to the door adjacent the bottom of the second uppermostsection, and assisting in the initial breaking or folding movement ofthe door sections relative to each other.

CHARLES F. RUTLEDGE.

